The First Honest Conversation | Episode 13

Fear doesn’t always mean you should stop. Sometimes it’s information you can understand and move forward with. In this episode of Rebuild and Fulfill, Kelsey Dunbar talks with Alexandra Silva Labarr, author, speaker, business and networking coach, and founder of Xandra Marketing. Alexandra shares how losing her mother at thirteen shaped her understanding of fear, resilience, and learning to trust herself. She also talks about launching her marketing business just before COVID, why confidence often comes after taking action, and how to “show up scared” without pretending the fear isn’t there. Alexandra explains her “Fear Is Data” approach, shares practical ways to make networking more genuine, and discusses writing Show Up Scared: Teen Edition for the young person she once was. The conversation also explores the FEEL Forward method, how adults can listen when a young person feels overwhelmed, and why one small step can help build evidence that you’re capable of doing hard things. If you’ve been waiting to feel ready, this episode offers a practical reminder: you can acknowledge the fear, learn from it, and still take your next step. Find Alexandra Silva Labarr: Search her name on social media and online. Her books include The Power of Networking, Show Up Scared, and Show Up Scared: Teen Edition. YouTube timestamps00:00 Fear doesn’t always mean stop 01:35 Meet Alexandra Silva Labarr 02:30 Losing her mother at thirteen 04:34 Learning to accept fear 06:05 Launching a business before COVID 09:20 What it means to “show up scared” 13:07 Recognizing old fear patterns 17:16 The “Fear Is Data” idea 17:59 Networking: quality over quantity 20:25 Kelsey’s double-dutch networking analogy 21:11 How to enter a room where you know no one 23:49 Writing Show Up Scared: Teen Edition 29:42 Helping young people feel heard 30:01 The FEEL Forward method 34:11 Trusting yourself through new chapters 35:40 One small step to take while afraid 40:26 Where to find Alexandra 41:28 Closing thoughts Hashtags#ShowUpScared #FearIsData #OvercomeFear #BuildConfidence #PersonalGrowth #NetworkingTips #RebuildAndFulfill

Do you have to reach a breaking point before you make a change? Many people keep pushing through, even when a career, relationship, routine, or long-held goal no longer feels right. They may feel trapped, drained, resentful, or unsure what comes next, but worry that changing direction means they’ve failed or let someone down. In this episode of Rebuild & Fulfill, Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala talk about reinvention and how to recognize when something in your life may need to change. They explore the difference between going through a difficult season and feeling a persistent uneasiness that keeps returning, even after the immediate pressure has passed. Marc shares how fear of the unknown, responsibility, and the belief that leaving a role means quitting can keep people stuck. He reflects on his own career transition and how the skills and experience he gained in one chapter of his life continue to serve him in another. Kelsey adds that change can involve more than a job or career. Relationships, physical goals, priorities, and our definition of success can all shift over time. This conversation is not a call to make a rushed or dramatic decision. Reinvention does not have to mean quitting, leaving, or throwing everything away. Sometimes it begins with a smaller adjustment: changing a routine, setting a limit, asking for support, exploring another option, or giving yourself permission to reconsider a goal. Kelsey and Marc also talk about what support can look like before someone reaches a crisis. It might be professional help, a conversation with someone close to you, or simply talking through your thoughts with someone whose perspective you trust. Writing things down, noticing what feels energizing or draining, and taking one small step can help you understand what you want before you commit to a bigger change. If you’ve been wondering whether something in your life still fits, this episode may help you think it through without treating change as failure. You don’t need to know the whole path before you begin. Sometimes the first step is noticing what isn’t working and being willing to explore what could be different. In this episode: 00:00 Reinvention before the breaking point 02:05 What reinvention means and why it can be gradual 03:21 Feeling trapped, stuck, or uneasy 05:02 Signs that something may no longer fit 06:17 When a difficult season becomes a recurring signal 07:42 How to tell if the situation itself needs to change 09:23 Questions to help you reflect without rushing 10:42 Why people wait until they feel overwhelmed 11:26 Fear of change, responsibility, and feeling like a failure 14:23 When change happens for you, and finding hope in the unknown 16:30 Small adjustments instead of dramatic leaps 17:18 Work-life balance, support, and redefining success 19:08 Support can help before a crisis 20:05 Honoring what a past role or goal gave you 22:31 Applying lessons from past relationships and experiences 24:32 Small first steps, journaling, and exploring options 26:16 Adjusting your plan does not mean you failed 27:40 A reflection for listeners 28:32 Marc’s takeaway 28:43 Closing thoughts If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who may be questioning whether it’s time for a change. Subscribe to Rebuild & Fulfill for more conversations about resilience, mental fitness, personal growth, and moving forward through life’s challenges. Keep rebuilding. Keep moving forward. #RebuildAndFulfill #SufferToTougher #Reinvention #PersonalGrowth #LifeChanges #CareerChange #Resilience #MentalFitness #WorkLifeBalance #SelfReflection #OvercomingFear #ChangeIsNotFailure #HealthyRelationships #Purpose #PersonalDevelopment

What happens when the career and identity you built are suddenly taken away? After a work-related injury ended her career as a dental hygienist and left her with a permanent disability, Candice Snyder spent years trying to understand what could come next. Today, Candice hosts the globally ranked Passion, Purpose and Possibilities podcast, where more than 300 conversations have explored resilience, transformation, purpose, mental health, kindness, and meaningful impact. In this episode of Rebuild & Fulfill, Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala talk with Candice about rebuilding after unexpected loss, discovering purpose through service, and creating conversations that help people feel seen, heard, and less alone. Candice shares: • The injury that ended her career and changed her identity • Rediscovering purpose through connection and service • Beginning a podcast despite her discomfort with technology • What interviewing men taught her about shared humanity • Seven lessons from 300 conversations • Why kindness needs to become louder and more visible • Listening in a way that makes people feel genuinely seen • Why reinvention has no age limit or expiration date • What she hopes to create next Kelsey and Marc also acknowledge how the life and loss of Candice’s brother, Mike, shaped her commitment to mental-health advocacy and suicide prevention. Rather than asking Candice to retell a story she recently shared in depth, this conversation honors Mike’s influence while keeping the focus on celebrating Candice and the impact she continues to make. You don’t need to have your entire next chapter figured out. Sometimes rebuilding begins with one honest conversation, one act of kindness, or simply remaining open to a new possibility. CONNECT WITH CANDICE Passion, Purpose and Possibilities Podcast: https://www.podpage.com/passion-purpose-and-possibilities-1/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicesnyder/ MAKE MENTAL HEALTH MATTER INTERVIEW In “Finding Gratitude in the Hardest Moments,” Candice speaks openly about losing her brother to suicide, navigating grief, and finding hope, gratitude, connection, and purpose after tremendous loss: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/make-mental-health-matter-with-kelli-melissa-reinhardt-finding-gratitude-in-the-hardest-moments--75670475 Make Mental Health Matter: https://www.mmhm.org/ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – When the life you expected suddenly changes 01:59 – Welcoming Candice Snyder 02:35 – The injury that ended Candice’s career 05:42 – Rediscovering purpose through connection and service 09:57 – How the podcast became something bigger 12:04 – Beginning before she knew it would work 12:55 – The conversation that revealed its potential 13:38 – What interviewing men taught Candice 15:30 – Seven lessons from 300 conversations 17:12 – Honoring Mike and his influence 19:25 – Why kindness needs to become louder 23:04 – Connection matters more than content 26:43 – Reinvention and rediscovering purpose 29:29 – What Candice hopes to create next 31:36 – Reflection and wrap-up 32:57 – Where to follow Candice #CandiceSnyder #PassionPurposePossibilities #RebuildAndFulfill #FindingPurpose #Reinvention #Kindness #HumanConnection #Resilience #MentalHealthAdvocacy

In this episode of Rebuild and Fulfill, host Kelsey Dunbar talks with Jeannine Rashidi, an Ayurveda doctor, author, founder of Goodbye Tension, and two-time TEDx speaker. Jeannine shares how childhood adversity and becoming a mother as a teenager shaped her life, and how she began to recognize patterns that continued into adulthood. She talks about building Goodbye Tension, developing the EDHIR method, writing Abundance Beyond Trauma, and how her first TEDx talk about asking “Why me?” evolved into a second talk about choosing yourself and the Belonging Bargain. Jeannine also explains her H.O.M.E. framework through a relatable everyday example: saying “I’m fine” when you’re not. The conversation explores how we learn to hide parts of ourselves to preserve connection, and how noticing those patterns can open the door to different choices. Find Jeannine’s work and free resources, including the I’m Triggered Pocket Guide and a free clarity call, at: https://goodbyetension.com/ Content note: This conversation includes discussion of childhood abuse, sex trafficking, and trauma. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open and introduction 01:33 Jeannine’s early life and becoming a mother as a teenager 04:41 Protecting her daughters, leaving, and rebuilding 13:06 Writing Abundance Beyond Trauma 14:51 The workbook and I’m Triggered Pocket Guide 15:08 What “home” means to Jeannine 16:33 How her first TEDx talk led to a second 18:41 The H.O.M.E. framework in everyday life 21:35 What rebuilding and fulfillment mean to her now 23:53 Honoring survival adaptations without self-blame 25:36 Jeannine’s work, free resources, and upcoming projects 27:09 Kelsey’s closing message HASHTAGS #RebuildAndFulfill #JeannineRashidi #TraumaHealing #BreakingPatterns #ChoosingYourself #BelongingBargain #TEDx

World Mental Health Day 2026 asks us to move beyond mental health awareness and truly listen to people with lived experience. As Mental Illness Awareness Week comes to a close, Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala explore what it means to turn real voices into real change. In this episode of Rebuild & Fulfill, Kelsey and Marc discuss the difference between hearing someone and making them feel genuinely heard, why mental health stigma still exists, and how lived experience and professional mental health care can work together. They also share practical ways to support someone who may be struggling without minimizing their experience or immediately trying to fix them. This conversation explores: • Why awareness alone is not enough • How to listen without judgment • Why lived experience is a meaningful form of expertise • The relationship between professional treatment and peer support • How shame prevents people from asking for help • Why following up matters • Simple ways to create safer, more honest conversations TIMESTAMPS 00:00 World Mental Health Day 2026 02:48 What does it mean to be truly heard? 04:29 Why sympathy without action is not enough 06:01 Does mental health stigma still exist? 08:17 Closing the mental health education gap 08:47 Why lived experience matters 09:49 How Marc’s lived experience shapes his support 12:05 Compassion without comparing experiences 13:23 Why we rush to fix someone’s pain 15:16 What a supportive response sounds like 16:56 “You’re not broken; you’re overloaded” 20:01 From feeling broken to feeling defective 22:29 Lived experience and professional mental health care 24:36 Recognizing when someone is not really okay 25:58 Turning mental health awareness into action 28:00 Practical ways to support someone who is struggling 30:11 The one-conversation challenge 31:31 Why people need to feel safe enough to reveal 32:19 Final message and mental health crisis resources World Mental Health Day lasts one day, and Mental Illness Awareness Week lasts one week, but people live with these experiences every day. Real change can begin with one honest conversation and one person realizing they do not have to carry everything alone. Ready to turn what you know into meaningful action? The Transformation Gap Experience gives you lifetime access to more than 140 powerful talks, practical tools, and guided support to help you move from insight to implementation: https://thetransformationgapsummit.com/transformation-gap-experience If you or someone you know is struggling in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Learn more about Suffer to Tougher and our work in resilience and mental fitness: https://suffertotougher.org #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #LivedExperience #EndTheStigma #MentalFitness #Resilience #RebuildAndFulfill #SufferToTougher